Drake upset at Popcaan’s Grammy snub

International rapper Drake, who is a multi-Grammy winning artiste, has expressed dissatisfaction with the Recording Academy for overlooking Popcaan for this year's Grammy nominations.

Popcaan's Fixtape, released on Drake's OVO label, debuted at 94 on Billboard 200 in August. It was second on the reggae chart behind Bob Marley's Legend: The Best of Bob Marley and the Wailers.

"I think we should stop allowing ourselves to be shocked every year by the disconnect between impactful music and these awards and just accept that what was once the highest form of recognition may no longer matter to the artistes that exist now, and the ones to come after," the OVO label frontman said in a social media post.

"It's like a relative you keep expecting to fix up, but they just can't change their ways ... This is a great time for somebody to start something new that we can build up overtime and pass on to the generations to come," he added.

Dancehall bigwigs Vybz Kartel and Popcaan did not make the final cut in the Best Reggae Album category for the 2021 Grammy Awards. Those nominated are: Skip Marley - Higher Place; Buju Banton - Upside Down 2020; Maxi Priest - It All Comes Back To Love; Toots and the Maytals - Got To Be Tough; and The Wailers - One World.

Popcaan, while saluting this years' nominees, said in a social media post: ". ...Differently tho unuh corruption levels high nuh b****t! We unstoppable tho dancehall music. We nah stop until unuh accept we," wrote Popcaan, whose Twist and Turn made former US president Barack Obama's playlist this year.

Michael Dawson, CEO of Whirlwind Entertainment, noted that dancehall, as a genre, has been struggling to get acceptance. "It's not today that Vybz Kartel or any other dancehall artistes who have been putting in the work have been overlooked," he said.

"Dancehall is always going to be the stepchild of Jamaican music. We saw that the other day with the Verzuz battle, with Beenie and Bounty, when they were left off that big Billboard cover after that spectacular performance. Years ago we saw something come up with the BET Awards, and Shabba turned them down because he wanted to be treated with the same level of respect as the other artistes. It's sad to say but I don't foresee things changing for the genre any time soon," Dawson said.